The Roman Empire made important contributions to the history of humanity that affected the social and economic progress of our modern society. People all over the world have used Roman inventions and innovations long after the empire itself disintegrated, giving shape to the world as we know it today. We are still astonished today at the incredible Roman builders and the quality of many of their famous projects. What is extraordinary is that several Roman built works are still in use and are beneficial to our modern society today. It is interesting to see many characteristics of Rome incorporated into the architecture of modern society. For example, think of the White House and a lot of the important buildings in Washington, D.C. They include a lot of elements from Roman architecture. Rome’s architectural genius has benefited the whole society, and improved the quality of life in our modern society today.
As we take a look at the architecture in modern society, we see that Roman styles have been incorporated into many of our buildings that make up our cities today. For example, when we look at the Pantheon, we see that it looks very similar to the White House located in Washington D.C. The White House consists of giant pillars surrounding the front of the white concrete building. The Pantheon also has large pillars located in the front of the building that is also made of concrete and appears to be a lighter color, much like the white house. According to an article found online, “The Pantheon of Rome is the best-preserved major edifice of ancient Rome and one of the most significant buildings in architectural history. In shape it is an immense cylinder concealing eight piers, topped with a dome and fronted by a rectangular colonnaded porch.” Just like the Pantheon, the White House is also one of the most significant buildings in the architectural history of the United States because it is the symbol of the United States government as well as the presidency of the United States.
The Capitol building in Washington D.C. is another great example of modern architecture that resembles that of Roman architecture. According to an article called A Capitol With Class, “With its beautiful domed Rotunda, the U.S. Capitol is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. And as the place where the members of Congress have debated and passed our nation’s laws for more than two centuries, it is an important symbol of the U.S. government. A rotunda is a circular building with a dome.” As we know, ancient Rome is known for the features and characteristics of its architecture such as its domes and pillars. The Capitol building is another building in our modern society that we see Roman characteristics incorporated into its structure. Not only does the Capitol building possess a Dome shape, it also appears to have giant pillars on the front of the building making it yet another building in modern society that greatly resembles the Pantheon.
The Colosseum is another example of Roman architecture that we see in modern society. According to an article found online, “The Colosseum is a large stone amphitheater, or open-air arena, that was built in Rome from 70 to 80 C.E. Emperor Vespasian commissioned the building as a means of appeasing the people of Rome, who had become discontented after years of extravagance and corruption under Emperor Nero. Vespasian’s grand new amphitheater was designed to hold about fifty thousand spectators for performances such as gladiator combat and wild animal hunts. Gladiators were slaves or prisoners who were made to fight one another, sometimes to the death, for the entertainment of audiences.” If you ever visit the Colosseum you’ll be fascinated at how much it resembles a sports stadium in our modern society. The doors where ticket holders go to get to their seats have numbers over them, just as the gates of a modern day football stadium do. There are special seating areas for the rich and powerful, just as there are in today’s stadiums. There was also equipment for placing a tarp over the roof to protect visitors from rain, just as in today’s covered stadiums. The purpose of the Colosseum was to provide entertainment for the citizens of Rome, which is exactly the purpose of the stadiums in modern society. Stadiums in modern society provide a place for citizens to go for entertainment and something to occupy their time.
Looking further into other countries such as England and France, we also see architectural characteristics that resemble many features of Roman architecture. Some examples include the Buckingham Palace in England and the Arch De Triumph in France. The Buckingham Palace resembles the Santa Maria Maggiore located in Rome. Both of these buildings appear to be a light colored cement and are large in size and rectangular in shape. Both the Buckingham palace and the Santa Maria Maggiore also appear to have a lot of windows as well as pillars on the front view of the building. According to an article found online, “The modern Buckingham Palace is about 830,000 square feet (77,109 square meters) in area. A staff of 800 people upkeep the palace’s 775 rooms. The rooms include 52 bedrooms for the royal family and guests, 19 staterooms, 92 offices, 188 staff bedrooms, and 78 restrooms. The palace is about 354 feet (108 meters) across its front façade and nearly 79 feet (24 meters) high.” Looking at the size of the Santa Maria Maggiore, one would assume that it also consists of a substantial amount of rooms in comparison to the Buckingham Palace. The Arch De Triumph in France is also another great example of modern architecture that resembles Rome due to its resemblance of Constantine’s Arch. According to an article found online, “The monumental triumphal arch is a Roman invention of the mid-first century B.C., and it served a purely ceremonial purpose.” The Arch De Triumph and Constantine’s Arch are almost replicas of eachother with the only difference being that Constantine’s Arch has three arches within the square shaped structure rather than the one arch that the Arch De Triumph consists of.
Roman architecture has had a significant influence on modern day infrastructure. Their use of cement and ways to support buildings was revolutionary. It is amazing to see ancient Roman buildings that are still standing today. This portrays the intelligence and the hard work put forth by the Roman society. For Roman architecture to have such a big influence on modern society many years later is astonishing. Romans created buildings not only for convenience, but for the pleasure of the eyes as all of their buildings were beautiful art which contributed to the development of a beautiful city that we now see in our modern societies throughout the world.
Works Cited:
- Ruth, Michael. “Colosseum.” Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2016. EBSCOhost, db26.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=93787466&site=eds-live.
- “Pantheon.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2017, p. 1p. 1. EBSCOhost, db26.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=PA013800&site=eds-live.
- DeAngelis, Gina. “A Capitol with Class.” Cobblestone, vol. 31, no. 6, July 2010, p. 6. EBSCOhost, db26.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=52053554&site=eds-live.
- Ruth, Michael. “Buckingham Palace.” Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2017. EBSCOhost, db26.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=87321279&site=eds-live.
- Steingraeber, Stephan. “Architecture Roman-Style.” Calliope, vol. 16, no. 3, Nov. 2005, p. 12. EBSCOhost, db26.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=18825986&site=eds-live.
